Keep Jacksonville Beautiful Commission Chair Chris Buckley calls City Council member Jim Love one of the most active city officials for the organization's cause.
Referred to as someone who "lives what he talks," Love was awarded the Jake Godbold Award, named after the mayor who created the commission in 1983.
"When I came into office, making a difference was my main idea," said Love, who represents the Riverside and Avondale areas.
Businesses are more likely to come to Jacksonville, property values hold more value and community pride increases with a cleaner city, all which help contribute in their own ways to a better economic status, he said.
Love was a large part of beautification efforts within his district, including the median cleanup and tree plantings. He also has been a proponent of the clean-water efforts of the St. Johns Riverkeeper.
Riverkeeper Jimmy Orth served as keynote speaker for Thursday's annual Keep Jacksonville Beautiful fundraiser and education event at City Hall. The event acknowledged the work of the commission and volunteers that make the organization's mission possible.
"It's a lot more than just keeping Jacksonville beautiful," Orth said. "You're making Jacksonville beautiful. You're making this a great city and a great place to live."
The organization has averaged close to 10,000 volunteers who have collected about 242,000 pounds of litter each of the past five years, Sheila Cribb, commission member, said.
The commission helps coordinates those efforts throughout the city and assists with events like the city's annual Coastal Cleanup day.
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